Detox Cleanse
Jan de Vries: Detox: a spring clean for a healthier body
09 October 2006 I Wouldn't be a real naturopath if I didn't say a little on detoxification. The lymphatic system, which works during the night, mops up the waste material in the body, needs you to have plenty of sleep, but also needs some thorough liver and blood cleansing. Detoxification processes are of great benefit, and one of the finest is the Detox Box from Alfred Vogel.
Alfred Vogel and I put this box together many years ago. It is a spring-cleansing course for the gall bladder, liver, bowel, kidneys and stomach, and also starts off the detoxification of the lymphatic system. In 24 hours, the liver filters 1,200 pints of blood and can benefit from some help. It has a few enemies (nicotine, alcohol and too much animal fat) and a few very good friends (one of which is oxygen). To enable the liver to carry out its work properly, detoxification is necessary. Artichokes are also very beneficial, as too is milk thistle.
Dr Megan Shields MD writes that milk thistle gives superior protection in a toxic world. Every day we are exposed to a barrage of environmental pollutants - industrial chemicals, pesticides and nuclear radiation, not to mention preservatives, synthetic hormones and other veterinary drugs in packages foods and in meat. A wide range of contaminants is also found in cosmetics and household cleaning products. More than 100 different toxic chemicals have been found stored in human fat. Yet this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to our exposure to toxic chemicals on a daily basis. Many toxins are eliminated from the body, leaving no trace of their presence - but only after they've damaged our health.
The consequences of exposure to toxins can be minimised thanks to the liver. The liver is responsible for detoxifying and filtering more than a litre of blood per minute, in addition to its other functions, including:
• Breaking down the body's own natural hormones, such as oestrogen and cortisols
• Producing secretions, such as bile for digestion
• Playing a critical role in carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, as well as storage of vitamins
However, the liver won't perform its many essential, wide-ranging functions if it has been damaged by an onslaught of toxic chemicals, bacterial invaders, alcohol abuse or even some over-the-counter and prescription drugs.
As a family practitioner and detoxification expert, Dr Shields has treated several thousand people for both acute and low-level chemical exposure. Her patients have included painters and decorators, firemen, farm workers, families exposed to fumigation chemicals, people whose drinking water was contaminated with solvents, factory workers, people exposed to toxic chemicals in their carpeting, children exposed to radiation and, unfortunately, increasing numbers of people who are addicted to recreational drugs or those prescribed by well-meaning doctors.
Particularly in the area of protective nutrients, fortunately, milk thistle is excellent for helping people deal with toxic overload. This herbal powerhouse, which blends natures own powerful healing nutrients with cutting-edge science and technology, in Shields' words has quickly become recognised as 'the Cadillac of liver protectants'. It is available in health food stores.
This natural miracle healer has long been used to treat liver disorders and is one of the most thoroughly scientifically validated plant extracts. Anyone who grew up using recreational drugs or living in urban or other areas of chemical pollution - in fact, anybody living in this modern chemical world - would benefit from the use of milk thistle. People should also use milk thistle if they have been diagnosed with a condition such as congested liver (inadequate bile flow), cirrhosis (a degenerative, inflammatory condition in which the liver cells harden, caused by excess alcohol intake), or hepatitis (liver inflammation and enlargement).
We don't know all the reasons why milk thistle is so helpful to the liver, even when it is under severe toxic stress. But we do know that it stimulates the liver's production of antioxidants, helping prevent further damage. It also builds up levels of glutathione, a small, protein-based molecule that helps the body metabolise pesticides and other environmental toxins. According to research, we have learned that milk thistle also has anti-inflammatory effects. Milk thistle stimulates protein synthesis, causing enhanced production of new liver cells to replace those that have been damaged.
The list of studies on milk thistle's liver-production benefits is long and convincing. Its place in the materia medica of natural healing is safely assured.
We can also reduce our exposure to environmental toxins and reduce stress on our liver by making some simple dietary changes. Be sure to eat organic vegetables, fruits and grains whenever possible. These substantially reduce exposure to environmental toxins because they are not contaminated with pesticides and because they provide fibre which helps absorb and transport toxins from the body. Avoid processed foods, especially products with unsafe additives, such as aspartame, saccharin and artificial colours.
Being a couch potato has become a way of life. However, regular exercise is also a way of protecting against environmental toxins. One of the body's most important methods of natural detoxification is through perspiration. In other words we 'sweat out' toxins, from drugs to heavy metals and pesticides.
Purchase safe cleaning products and take other measures to eliminate toxic inputs to the home environment.
It is possible to stay healthy in today's environment, but our bodies require significant help. Low toxin living is part of the answer, but for many whose bodies require extra detoxification assistance, the use of a quality milk thistle supplement can also be extremely important for healthy living.
.
